iPod Challenge
by Quil Explodes
Summary: Fifteen drabbles per chapter based on various songs, shuffled from my iPod...NOW ADDED MORE CHAPTERS!
1. Chapter 1

_I saw this on someone's profile (I'm so sorry, I can't remember who!) and thought it was a cool idea...so I tried, when I had some time. It's to put your iPod on shuffle and then, with only the amount of time of the song, write a little story or drabble based on the song. You only have the amount of time that the song is playing for. (Except you can finish a sentence.)_

_It would probably be nice to listen to the songs, or at least look at the lyrics, but if you can't or don't want to it's fine, of course. The drabbles can probably be read without._

* * *

**The Runaway by Gentle Giant**

Running won't change anything, Quil thinks as he runs as fast as he can, which is fast enough to get away from it, from everything, but it feels like his heart is being ripped again and again out of his chest with each step he takes--

_How can he have so much fucking _heart_?_

Every second seemed like a blessing, every second of what now feels like a curse. How could he have been so--_stupid, trusting--_he knew something was going to happen, he _knew_ it...

Time doesn't help, not really. Just sort of numbs it, the endless agony. Pain's just worse--but nothing really hurts as much, so it doesn't really happen that much. But happiness--happiness is something long-forgotten, on misty beaches and rainy forests, not this unbearable desert heat, with the sand and dust and _no_ _water_ _whatsoever_.

Claire would hate it here, he can't help thinking. And he lets himself drown for minutes, hours--time doesn't really matter anymore--in memories, but he doesn't even have that many of _those_--

He doesn't deserve it, he thinks. He doesn't even deserve the distraction cloudy memories bring. Claire's mom was exactly right--_go away, never come back, don't deserve anything to do with her, go away, go away, away, away..._

_--_

**Shangri-La by Electric Light Orchestra**

The weeks pass, and it's like nothing Sam's ever experienced. He just waits and waits and he just _can't stand waiting_ anymore--

So he goes. Emily already hates him--he feels a stab of pain at that--and Leah's already given up on him (as far as he knows--he hasn't seen her for a while, and when he thinks of her it's like there's a cloud over all his thoughts, feelings...he doesn't really feel anything to do with her anymore) what harm can it do?

What did Harry say? _Can't resist..._

Well, she couldn't. Flowers and sad eyes and his hopeless stares--how could anyone?

That's her excuse...she won't even say it to anyone else, because she thinks it's too lame. Even to herself...the shame almost overcomes that feeling in the pit of her stomach, the wrongness mixed with perfect _rightness_.

But it's heaven, for him and then for her, once she can forget about her. He knows what those people, who ever they are, are talking about when they say Shangri-La.

They play cheesy Beatles songs and dance and laugh and kiss and try not to think about cousins and ex-girlfriends and werewolves and vampires.

--

**Big Black Smoke by The Kinks**

Renee didn't _want_ to leave. But she had to.

The tiny town was suffocating, as if there was a glass dome and it was sucking all the air out, because there were too many people--_too few--_and she couldn't bring her daughter up in this place, she would suffocate just like Renee, and the look on Charlie's face didn't even do anything to her hardened heart...

She had a few boyfriends, nothing special--they dumped her, she dumped them--until she met Phil.

--

**Carnival by Eric Clapton**

"Where're we going, Quil?" Claire stuffed her hands in her pockets, blinking up at her too-tall best friend.

"Aw, just come on. Please?"

"Where?" She planted her feet stubbornly, and he sighed, knowing perfectly well he never really thought he'd be able to keep it from her, not really. He never has been.

"Claire...oh, fine, the carnival."

"Carnival?" A grin twisted the corners of her mouth upwards, and Quil's heart skipped a beat.

"Yeah, like when you were little."

"We went to the carnival when I was...little?" She frowned.

"Uh, sure. Yeah."

"Okay, okay. You win." He smiled a heart-melting smile, and she looked away, because she could never really stand to look at him when he did that, knowing perfectly well he was _way to old_ (even though he doesn't age) and way too not interested in her (no matter what imprinting was, and no matter how, according to Allie, he "looked at her") and _why was he looking at her like that?_

"Well, we didn't actually, you know, there aren't really any carnivals around La Push. Just that stupid one in Forks every year. You hated it."

"I remember." She made a face and he couldn't stop himself from leaning forward, pressing his lips to her cheek--just turning his head at the last second to hit her cheek instead--because _no_ _way_ could he even _think_ about...

--

**Bookends by Simon and Garfunkel**

Claire lets her eyes roam over the fuzzy little intricacies of his face in the picture, taken with that crappy camera he spent about two bucks on, at that little store by the beach--she remembers every single detail, from what he was wearing (or rather, what he wasn't wearing--Quil never really wore anything but cut-offs) to how the raindrops stuck to his long black eyelashes...

She stuffs the picture back into the old book as her husband--_her not so warm, not so tall, not so _Quil_ husband--_comes back in and she blinks back the tears and she feels his hands and _this is what he wanted don't even think about anything else and what if he's still--_

_--_

**Escape by Muse**

Why was it that the second his eyes met her _beautiful_ _wonderful_ _amazing_ cousin's she felt like the smallest, most insignificant piece of dirt that's ever existed? Why can't _anything_ else keep her afloat, and why does she have to _turn into a fucking werewolf and look at his damn mind_ the _minute_ she was starting to get over him...

Leah wasn't even dirt anymore. She was microscopic. So why was it that all of the _pack_ saw her exactly when she didn't want them to and never when she needed them?

She fought the vampire alone. That wasn't the problem.

--

**Invisible Touch by Genesis**

No one really knew what imprinting was. So when Jared came back from his week-long absence from school, having to clench his fists at every little irritation--_"can't phase and kill half the people in your class, no, plus _exposing_ us_..._"_--Sam was in his head every second, even when he was human...

So when his eyes met those beautiful dark brown ones belonging to the person sitting right next to him--did they change seats?--he searches desperately in his head for her name--_Kate--no, that's her, no Mary...don't be stupid, no one's called Mary anymore--_Kim.

He smiled shyly, gazing at the way she dipped her head, hair falling over her reddened cheeks...

--

**The Battle of Evermore by Led Zeppelin**

The fight seems to last forever. The pack's exhausted. Why can't the stupid vampires just die already?

Burn. Be ripped to shreds. Whatever. They're not picky.

Then Sam came and the fury seemed to drip from every pore of his body, influencing everyone else in the pack, the pure, unadulterated, _anger_...

It helped. They died, or as much as monsters who were already dead in the first place could die.

Then they all almost wished they could still be fighting, still be killing, ripping--because anything that would make the last twenty seconds not happen...

The still, matted fur, blood-encrusted bodies lying on the ground would make anyone do anything to erase the last twenty seconds.

--

**Mother by Pink Floyd**

Claire was tired of her mother. I mean, come _on_, did she actually prefer her to be with some random hormonal teenage boy with less than honorable intentions than _Quil_?

She tried it. A boy from her English class asked her out, she said yes, he showed up at her house, her mom smiled, waved, said _"have a good time," _and off they went.

Of course, halfway through driving to the movie, Claire clutched her stomach, held her mouth--_"I'm so sorry but I'm really really sick...do you think you could just take me to my...brother's house, just right there?"_

The fact that Claire didn't have a brother was very well known to the boy in the car, who had spent quite some time staring at her only sibling, a sister, but when she yelled and Quil came out, threw him off her, yelled some variation of "you disgusting piece of slime" at him (only with more swear words), he drove away faster than she would have thought possible. She let Quil wrap his relieved arms around her and hide his face in her hair--he didn't want her to know how...well, _jealous_, he was...

Claire's mother still preferred the boys--that is, the boys that weren't Quil.

--

**Cousin Kevin by The Who**

Quil and Jacob had never really been the _best_ of cousins. Their parents never dared leave them alone together, but then when Jacob's mother died, Billy's watch slackened...and sometimes Quil's parents weren't around.

No one really knew quite what they did. They just saw the results.

Too bad they didn't have the super-wolfy-healing powers they got years later, because there sure were enough trips to the emergency room with broken bones and blood-gushing wounds.

They were always laughing, except for that brief period when Jacob's mother died.

And everyone was constantly jumping at every noise...

Leah once drank the glass of water they'd put a lizard in. That was one of their worst and least imaginative tricks.

--

**Another Brick in the Wall Part 2 by Pink Floyd**

Claire hated school. Rebelling and skipping and wearing torn jeans and band t-shirts, blasting the music as loud as it would go to drown out the sounds of her house--_her mom thought Pink Floyd was the devil incarnate, Nirvana right up there with The Clash and The Who, who wasn't even loud--_and looking and looking--_there were no fucking drugs in La Push, anywhere, and even Josh-with-the-perpetually-dialated-pupils-in-math-class had to get them when he went to Seattle to visit his grandparents and no way was he going to share--_and looking for anything to do that would even come close to _anything_ at all...but there was nothing in La Push. So one day, she couldn't stand it anymore.

She could and she did. She dropped out.

It wasn't just the teachers, the boredom, the absolute inanity of it all. It wasn't just that everyone there hated her, she hated everyone, teachers included. It wasn't the fact that the only person she could trust wasn't allowed there.

She couldn't go home and face her mother and her screams and her _what do you think you're doing you go back there this instant_--

She knew Quil would be the same only without the screams and without the anger, just with disappointment and that look in his eyes...that was almost worse, in a way.

_You don't want to give it one more chance? You're so close to finishing...just another semester...come on, Claire..._

She told him that if he didn't have to she didn't have to. She was an adult, well, close enough, and she could make her own decisions.

He said he was a werewolf. Is. That's a bit of an excuse, isn't it?

She said, "I'm a were-cat, then. I'm not going back."

He laughed and laughed and she said, "Why don't we run away?" and he _almost_ said yes, yes, yes, but he remembered he had to stay whether he liked it or not and there was no way she was leaving without him...

"La Push is too small to hide from her."

"Who? Oh." He hugged her tightly, said, "Don't worry, it'll be fine, promise."

She knew it wouldn't be, but she didn't say anything, just soaked Quil's pillow with tears when it got dark and she thought he couldn't see. But he came over from the couch he had insisted on taking, lay next to her, wrapped his arms around her, kissed her, promised. And she buried her face in his chest, breathing in his scent, thinking of nothing but him.

Her last thought was _I just want to see her face when she sees us in the morning, maybe that'll trump the whole dropping-out-of-high-school thing. _She wondered if Quil was just as bad in her mother's mind. Would she prefer she was the next Josh-in-math-class?

--

**Hello, I Love You by The Doors**

Her eyes were burning, burning...cold, beautiful gray...

A jab in his shoulder, Seth shrugged it off.

"Seth! That got old such a long time ago, you were just telling Brady to stop staring holy shit Seth. Hey! Brady! Guess what?" He didn't even give him enough time to answer before continuing. "Seth fucking imprinted on--"

"Shut the hell up, Collin," Seth shoved Collin with his elbow.

"What are you going to do?" Brady wondered idly.

"I don't know." Seth tore his eyes away, sat down angrily.

"You have no chance."

"Thanks so much." He snorted.

--

**Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd**

Just the sound of her voice, anything, Jacob would take anything at this point...

It wasn't just Bella he missed, or rather, the Bella he was in love with. It was _Bella, _Bella being his best friend and Bella laughing and being embarrassed and saying, "You know, you're sort of beautiful?"

He wondered if she actually knew what she was getting herself into. He'd tried so hard, but nothing got through to her. Nothing would, with that _thing_ there, clouding her mind, judgement...she would never really do that to herself, to Charlie, to me.

Did she know what she was going to be turned into? Could she tell the difference between hot and cold, life and death, happiness and...whatever he gave her which was _not_ that.

He knew her being happy. He saw it before he even came any where near Forks. And then after...right after he came back she was just _glowing_...

--

**How Do You Feel by Jefferson Airplane**

"Jacob, you need to talk to me. I can't help you if you don't help yourself."

I stared blankly at the complete stranger, wondering why, exactly, I was supposed to spill my guts out to someone who I didn't know and who didn't know me, someone who never has and never would give a shit about me, and someone I would never care one bit about.

"Huh?"

"How do you feel?"

"Excuse me? How do you _think_ I feel? The girl I fucking _love_ was turned into a damn _bloodsucker_, and you ask me how I _feel_?"

"Now, Jacob, you have to keep calm," the stranger said, gazing warily at my shaking hands. "Anger won't help anyone."

--

**Anthem by Rush**

The whispers surround, the faces haunt. _She will never be free of him_, she thinks. She also thinks she does a good job of hiding it from Edward, and that seems to be true, so...

But she _can't_ turn into a vampire. Why does she think _bloodsucker_, instead?

If she's changing because she loves Edward, then why shouldn't she not change because she loves Jacob?

Why does she have to love him? Or better yet, why does _he_ have to love _her_?

_So, I know I said they'd be about the werewolves, and they mostly were, except for that one about Renee..._

_I think I kind of killed some of these. Especially the Rush one. But oh, well. I hope you enjoyed..._

_Please review!! It only takes you a minute but it makes my day, as cheesy as that may sound._


	2. Chapter 2

_I know, I thought I was done too--but this is a great way to help with writer's block, which I've been having a lot lately (hence the zero updates. I'm so sorry)._

_Hope you enjoy. And don't forget to review!!_

* * *

**Freewill by Rush**

When Quil imprinted on Claire, he didn't really stop to think about exactly...not what it meant for his life, but what it meant for...him. He hadn't liked what he'd seen in Jacob's face when he looked at Bella Swan, and he didn't want that.

But Claire wouldn't choose a leech over him. He knew that. Maybe it was some arrogance left over from his other, _normal_ life...but whatever it was, he was sure.

Nothing could change that, not Emily, not Sam, not her mom, or his grandfather, or a thousand trillion leeches.

It was that surety that kept him going, really, when she was going through what everyone called "teenage angst," but what he knew were real. It was what kept him going when he really, _really_ hated imprinting. Because if it wasn't for her, _her_ her, not some weird wolfy bond he had with her, he wasn't sure he'd ever really get over the fact that he really _had no choice._

_--_

**Moonlight Drive by The Doors**

When Quil imprinted on Claire, his life stopped. Well, not exactly, but his life stopped...changing. Everything became fixed, the same...except when he was with her, Quil was way too bored. Especially since the stupid leeches never came anymore...after Bella Swan, it seemed that everyone's blood was just so unappetizing.

So when Claire approached him slowly, pulled him away from the others, pressed a plastic bag into his hand, crinkling ominously, looking up into his bright eyes, he couldn't exactly say no.

That's why she came to him. He was a risk-taker, always was--imprinting didn't change that--he allowed himself and those he loved to have fun, he lived in the moment (yes, start the dog jokes)...she could trust him. Trust him not to say no, and trust him to keep her safe, because, yes, she was a little nervous. Who wouldn't be?

He knew it wasn't worth it. Even when she passed it to him, and he inhaled deeply, and, because everything's so much stronger as a werewolf--_what happened to Old Quil's warnings and Paul's and Jacob's failed memories?_--he saw the silver-bright moonbeams shine onto her hair, even as he stared, even as she breathed and her eyes were so wide and dark it was like the whole world was reflected in them, even as his brain was convoluted and his eyes were seeing things that couldn't possibly be there, he knew it wasn't worth it.

For one, Sam would kill him. Not for what he did to himself, but for letting Claire.

Second, her mom would kill him. And her. Theoretically.

But also because, honestly? He would never forgive himself if something happened to her. And since he was so...un-alert wasn't the best word, but it would have to do, how could he protect her? A leech would laugh if it could see them now.

But of course, there were no leeches, like there never were for ages, and as she leaned in and her lips met his he couldn't really think the _not_ _worth_ _it_ anymore. Now it was more of a _when can we do it again?_

So what if she pretended like it never happened? If she wasn't thinking straight? She was still her, and she knows what she wants, she wouldn't kiss him if she didn't want to...He could hang onto it, forever, if need be...

Even as she whispers against his lips _Look at the moon Quil isn't it beautiful, look how the moon's shining in your eyes, all silver and rainbow and...I can see it in your eyes...you're so beautiful Quil, so..._

He thinks, _It's worth it._

_--_

**I Need You by The Kinks**

Jacob always thought he needed Bella Swan. Sure, food, clothes, his dad, Quil, Embry--now the rest of the pack, Leah even...but there was always Bella. Always.

Until, of course, she got changed into his worst enemy.

So then he still needed her, but, unfortunately for him, _she_ didn't really exist anymore.

It sucked (no pun intended) to need someone who didn't exist.

--

**Waiting Man by King Crimson**

Bella got back from her honeymoon and it wasn't what she expected. At all.

So she went to La Push (not thinking about the fact that soon she wouldn't be able to), and snuck into Jake's shed, her heart floating when she saw his broad, bare back leaning over his Rabbit...

She ran and slammed into him, enough to send him stumbling backwards, werewolf and all.

She would never, _ever_, do as much as move Edward a step, just like that. Until, of course, she was long gone from _him_, forever. Her tears dripped down his bare, warm shoulder.

Because of course he was as warm as she'd always remembered, as solid, as _human_ (yes, she knew he was a werewolf), and she _couldn't_ leave, _didn't want to leave_...

So she kissed him and she melted and even though he knew it would hurt a thousand times worse than it already had, he kissed her back.

She knew she had a husband. He knew she had a husband. And he knew he _would_ have an...imprint, someday.

After, they fell asleep in the car. She smiled before drifting off to sleep, smiled at the fact that this would never have happened with Edward. With anyone but Jacob. And he smiled for that same reason too.

Quil and Embry looked in, wheeled right back out again. Because even though they'd see it in his thoughts eventually, even seeing them sleeping, innocently sleeping...they smirked to each other, swallowing the nausea.

--

**Eyes of a Child 1 by The Moody Blues**

Sometimes Quil over-thought things. But she was just so simple, at least for now, that he couldn't help it. But sometimes, he tried to look at things from her perspective, take his mind away from the spinning confusion that was his life, and it was quite refreshing.

With the eyes of a child, he could see how hanging out with a two (three, four, five) year old wasn't weird. With the eyes of a child, especially a child that happened to be his soul mate, whatever that even means, he could see why...well, he could see everything. Mostly.

--

**The Nile Song by Pink Floyd**

Paul doesn't even know why he let his cousin drag him to _Egypt_, of all places. He gazed out at the river, wishing, for once in his life, that he could phase and hear the voices of all his pack members. Friends. Brothers. (_And sister,_ he thought reluctantly.)

But then he saw her and he never wanted to leave this blasted place.

She was obviously a tourist, with her golden hair, but she looked so, simply, _at home_.

And he couldn't look away, he was transfixed, and he thought to Jared, as if he could hear him, that he was sorry he made fun of him because of Kim and _now I get it._

_--_

**Hello Old Friend by Eric Clapton**

Fifty years, more or less, pass.

Bella forgets.

Jacob imprints.

She comes back when Charlie dies (no one really expected him to live this long), just to see his grave. She keeps in the shadows, so to speak--no one sees her, no one knows Bella Swan is actually alive.

Jacob waits. He goes to the grave because he didn't forget, and even though Billy died a long time ago, he still kept tabs on Charlie.

When Bella thinks no one's watching, she sobs, but she hates it that she can't even cry for her father.

Jacob goes and Bella jumps and wrinkles her nose at the smell. Jacob's only just imprinted a few years back--he looks just the same, hasn't changed much. When he smiles sadly she remembers, just a fuzzy picture, feeling, that _heat_...

He cries for her, and she hugs him and tries to ignore the smell. Because she does remember...

They always say you remember your first love the most, but Bella remembers her second just fine.

--

**Don't Leave Me Now by Pink Floyd**

He begs. Jacob begs and Bella cries and sobs but she still turns away.

He begs even more. He grabs her but never hurts her, and she can't help thinking--

No. She walks away and he runs after her, but after a while he can't anymore. So he lets her go.

He collapses against the side of his Rabbit, buries his face in his hands, nightmarish images of her, _her_, stone and cold and ice and _vampire_...they run through his head but he can't go after her anymore, it hurts too much...

He hears her scream as the ice-fire burns her and he runs and runs but he can always hear it.

**DCBA-25 by Jefferson Airplane**

"Let me go, Leah." She couldn't really believe he was saying this to her. It just wasn't actually happening, it was just some sick joke. He would snap out of it, he would snap out of his weird calmness and tallness...

"Please." He was begging. She didn't look him in the eye. If she did, she would let him go.

"Leah." He took her chin in her hand and she yanked away but it was like he didn't even feel her effort.

"Leah, please. Please. Let me go."

He tilted her face so their eyes met.

She nodded and the tears spilled over. He snatched his hand away before they could reach his skin.

--

**Do Ya by Electric Light Orchestra**

"Really?"

It was just like her, this girl he hardly knew but knew he was going to spend the rest of his life with. She knew it too, this boy, this boy she just found out was actually half-wolf.

Jacob grinned, nodded quickly. "Yep."

She smiled widely. "I've seen a lot of things, but this..."

"Wait till you see this." He backed away from her and disappeared for a few seconds, before she could see him again.

"Whoa." She reached to touch his soft red-brown fur. "Whoa," she says again.

He licked her face and she laughed delightedly. "This is so awesome!"

He laughed a deep throaty wolf chuckle. She jumped on his back, completely unafraid. "I've seen a lot of things, but this is by far the coolest."

He wished he could say something to convey the happiness he felt, but nothing seemed to be needed.

--

**Plastic Man by The Kinks**

Edward Cullen is made out of plastic, Jessica is sure of it. Why else would he refuse her? The only explanation is that he isn't really a person at all.

_Probably spent millions on the surgeries,_ Lauren sneers with her.

_If he's plastic, what is his sister?_

They both glance at the 'family.'

_Petroleum._

_--_

**Lucky Man by Emerson, Lake, and Palmer**

Sam was always the lucky one. Leah had the pain, Emily had the guilt.

Sam didn't even have that! She saw it in his mind--or rather, she didn't see it in his mind.

So when the big fight came everyone knew someone wouldn't make it, and no one thought it would be Sam.

Not only was he lucky, but he was strong, and big, and smart, and...

It was all a blur to Leah. It was a blur to all of them. But when all the leeches were gone, dead, gray smoke in the gray sky, they looked around.

No one had thought it would be Sam. All bloody--he heaved one last breath and Jacob gasped.

--

**Castles Made of Sand by Jimi Hendrix**

All of La Push saw Sam dump Leah. They heard the half-strangled scream, then they saw her run. They saw his shocked face.

They saw what happened after, too.

--

All of La Push saw Jacob break off from Sam's pack. All of La Push who knew, at least. The pack actually saw it, though.

They saw what happened after, too.

--

Everyone saw Leah Clearwater jump off the cliff. Only--how many were in the pack now?--fifteen or so teenaged werewolves knew she would be okay.

But she wasn't. And Jacob wasn't really, either.

He was going to tell her, he wasn't like Sam, he had already told that unfortunate girl he happened to imprint on that he _couldn't_, couldn't and wouldn't...

And then she jumped.

No one saw what happened after.

--

**Peace Frog by The Doors**

Carlisle has always tried to stop war. Of all kinds.

At some point, Aro had to forcefully remove him when he was trying to convince Hitler that, I'm very sorry, but Jews are people too.

Just joking. But Carlisle never had any qualms against stopping human wars, when he could. No one except him really knows what he did to prevent World War Three.

--

**Dazed and Confused by Led Zeppelin**

Bella sent Jacob into a sort of daze. Especially when he was human--oh, mostly when he was human. Afterwards he had other things to think about...when he was around her. Such as not phasing and killing her.

But sometimes he...

When her leech came back, he tried so hard...he still doesn't know exactly what he did wrong. I mean, if she loved them both, why him? It was simple, from the outside.

From the outside everything was simple.

But did she not realize how much he loved her? It hurt every day, that kind of love. She knew that--didn't she? So why would she become what hurt her most, and turn _him_ into the worst time of _her_ life?

It wouldn't be like that, not really. Because he had no Jacob Black to be his sun. He had no Bella Swan.

And that was sort of the point.

Sometimes he just...had enough of it. He told Billy to tell her he was patrolling, but just walked aimlessly as a human, trying to ignore the tugging he felt to go in her direction.

Sometimes it hurt too much and he needed a break. But he always came back.

She didn't.


End file.
